Alexandria's Recruiters
by wandererred
Summary: A series of one-shots about Aaron and Daryl's travels outside the walls of Alexandria. Just a little thing I've been working on to tide us over during the hiatus. Of course there is implied Caryl and Aaric! Do you have an idea for a one-shot? Send me a message or leave it in your review below! Rated M for language.
1. Fireside Gossip

"...and then Eric and I hit the road and found Alexandria." This was his third story of the day, and Daryl had to admit it had been the worst one yet. Shit about pre-apocalypse parties and fancy wine drinking, and the spilling of fancy wine onto family members- actually that one had been the worst.

Daryl had been pretty good about nodding and listening, despite it all, he knew he wasn't gonna treat this guy like a complete asshole. He seemed to be one of the only people from Alexandria that he could stand to be around.

Aaron smiled at Daryl's blank expression and let out a dejected breath, "I'm losing you. It's okay, I'll be quiet." Daryl didn't respond, he simply kept picking at his jerky by the dying embers of their campfire.

"How about you talk?" Aaron suggested in vain, leaning back on his elbows.

"Ain't much to talk about." Daryl stoked the embers with a stick he found by his foot and looked up at Aaron. He was looking at him with just about the dumbest expression.

"What?" Aaron continued to stare.

"On the road for two years and you have no stories. Unbelievable." Aaron sighed and Daryl's eyes narrowed.

Hadn't felt like two years since the world went to shit. His world had been shit from day one. The times they were in now just felt a little more lonely, like he was keeping time until his family became smaller and smaller until he was the last man standing. It had gone like that with his blood family, and it wouldn't be long until he'd have to start over again. Only, in Alexandria, fate would have to get through many others before it got close to anyone he cared about...

"Okay, I get it now. I struck a chord; I'm sorry. I don't know what you've been through."

Daryl lifted his head and mumbled, "Damn right," Aaron yawned, "and I ain't got no bedtime stories either."

Aaron lifted the corner of his mouth slightly and chuckled, "So you noticed. Mind if you take first watch?"

"Sure." Daryl got up and grabbed the sleeping back from the trunk of their vehicle. He threw it at Aaron, who let it crash into his chest and fall just inches from their fire pit.

"Not much of a catcher are you?" Daryl chided and sat on the hood of the car.

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" Aaron gave Daryl an exasperated look and he cringed.

"Oh, man. Sorry." He fumbled with his crossbow awkwardly and rested it against the bumper near his feet.

"It's okay. You know I've been thinking, and I know it's a bad segway..."

"Thought you were done talkin'." Daryl remarked bluntly

"I know, I know, but I need to know," Aaron continued as he was setting up his sleeping bag on a fresh patch of leaves, "who were you with before the Turn?"

"Had a brother. Dad. My brother, Merle, liked to beat up guys like you behind bars in town. And my pa liked to hit anything living under his roof." Daryl figured over-sharing might shut him up. People always got so clammed up when your response wasn't what they expected.

Aaron didn't miss a beat, "Nice family."

"Nah, buncha pricks," Daryl dismissed, "didn't you say you were tired?"

"Well, I got you talking, I figured I might wanna stay up for this."

"I'm still getting your ass up in a couple hours, your loss." Daryl was surprised this conversation hadn't come up earlier, but he was glad something was going to keep him entertained on watch.

"Your brother didn't make it?" Aaron asked it gently, not wanting to make it seem too overtly like a statement.

"Nah, got himself killed by some prick after the Turn trying to save our asses." Daryl was shocked at his own honesty, but, if Aaron was as tired as he said he was, he wouldn't remember a lot of this tomorrow.

"Thought you said your brother was the prick?" Aaron smiled at Daryl's vocabulary.

"Call a lotta people that."

There was a long pause and Daryl glanced at Aaron, checking if his eyes were still open. Daryl looked around their campsite and stretched out his arms, grunting at the slight twinge that came from his shoulder. Aaron shifted in his sleeping bag so he was facing Daryl, and he smiled.

"Lighter topic. Any ladies in your life before all this?"

"Christ, I thought you were asleep." Daryl rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You didn't answer my question."

"No. Don't got any juicy love stories for ya." What was this, a fucking sleepover?

"You don't like talking about yourself." Aaron stated matter-of-factly and rolled onto his back.

"Who told ya?" Daryl's response was thick with sarcasm. This guy wasn't going to quit. He wondered if it would be impolite to knock him out so he could get a few minutes of quiet.

"Okay, what if we talk about the other people in your group?" Aaron clearly had an agenda and Daryl didn't like where this was heading.

"Yeah, they all had families, too, some even stayed with us for awhile. Christ, I'm not their keeper. Talk to them yourself."

"Don't think Rick likes me much." Aaron scoffed.

Daryl let out a momentary chuckle, "You went down like a ton of bricks." He remembered the sight of Aaron dropping to the ground in that barn the day they learned he'd been following them.

"Yeah. What about now?" Aaron laid his arm under his head.

"What about it?" Daryl definitely didn't like where this was going.

"Any ladies in your life now?"

Daryl avoided the question "Few in the group. Been with others, but you know..." He trailed off and Aaron shifted uncomfortably in the sleeping bag.

"You know what I mean, Daryl." Something about his tone made Daryl feel very indignant.

"Look, ya followed us for two-"

"Three." Aaron corrected

"Fine, three weeks. You'd think ya wouldn't need ta ask who's with who. Woulda been obvious if I was with someone."

Aaron chuckled, "Alright, looks like I misjudged you."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, goodnight, Daryl."

"Finally." Daryl breathed and did a quick survey of their surroundings.

"If it's any consolation, I kiss Eric on the forehead all the time."

"Cheeky prick." Daryl kicked at the dirt at his feet and Aaron braced against the dust cloud that assaulted his back. Daryl was gonna wake him up extra early for runnin' his mouth like this all night.

"Goodnight, Daryl."

"Mmmmhmm." Daryl remarked around his thumbnail. This was going to be a really long run.


	2. Death by Chocolate

Daryl wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he and Aaron were scouting yet another grocery store. It had been the second one that day, and they hadn't found much in the way of food. Daryl figured that anything useful would have been taken already, but Aaron was insistent on checking every stuffy, hot, and skunky grocery store they passed.

"Ain't this the supply team's job?" Daryl asked, scanning Aaron's flashlight above a pile of decaying magazines.

"Well, sure, but they're pretty limited. You and me, we find the heavy stuff." Aaron lifted a toppled over bookcase and rummaged through a stack of books. He held one thicker, hardcover book under the light and Daryl got a glimpse of the front cover.

"Tha's some unreal shit, y'know." Daryl scoffed handed Aaron back the light.

"What? A cookbook? Never seen one before?"

"Not since the world went ta shit," Daryl started to make his way out of the door to the back room, "used to be, ya didn't care what ya ate. Only cared if ya ate. Now we got folks tellin' us to get pasta makers and 'The Joy of Cooking'."

"Haven't you noticed? Alexandria isn't like the rest of the world." Aaron followed behind him.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Daryl grunted. He carefully made his way through the produce section, keeping his flashlight moving. Aaron coughed at the stench.

"Smells like when my mother used to try to cook." Aaron sheepishly grinned and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Don't seem too kind to speak like that 'bout the dead," Daryl remarked over his shoulder, "or their casseroles."

"Okay, I'll stop. We should be quiet anyway; I've got the feeling we aren't alone."

"Yeah, big store. Where to?" Daryl stopped to kick an empty can out of his way. He shouted when he discovered that it wasn't empty.

"Sonofabitch!" He jumped out of the path of the mouse and accidentally knocked Aaron back a few feet. Aaron cursed and spun his arms, trying to right himself.

"Guess you were right." Daryl saw the corners of Aaron's mouth turn up and he continued walking deeper into the store.

After surveying the housewares, they realized they weren't going to find any pasta makers in a simple store like this one. Aaron sighed as he turned out empty boxes of utensils. They were sat on a table, after haphazardly pushing the bowls and plates out of their way. Daryl continued to survey the shop. Nothing had bothered them except a few walkers near the entrance. He was beginning to wonder where they all were.

"The candy aisle." Aaron broke the silence.

"Wha-?"

"The candy aisle. We should check there, and then we can try to find some infant supplies for Judith. Wouldn't it be nice to bring back a big fancy crib for her? I can only imagine…"

"Used to use that shit for kindling." Daryl smirked.

"You always in the mood to rain on my parade?"

Daryl shrugged and rose from the table, "Let's go."

"So Rick had a wife? I'm assuming that's where Judith came from."

Daryl gave him an exasperated look, "Where else?"

"Guess I saw her get passed around a lot. You know, 'it takes a village'," Aaron got a devilish grin, "I'm surprised you knew that, Daryl."

"Just 'cause I ain't got little brats runnin' around me all the time, doesn't mean I don't know how they get here. Now come on. " Daryl turned down the candy aisle and found it surprisingly cleaned out.

"Shit. Why'd people take this?" He toed at an open package of licorice.

"Comfort. I guess. Same reason people take alcohol. No nutrients, but it dulls the pain." Aaron sighed and wandered past Daryl to the middle of the aisle. Part of the shelving had fallen over, blocking the aisle, and he lifted his foot to test the stability of the unit.

"C'mere. Watch my back. I don't wanna get hurt." Aaron tucked his handgun into his belt and motioned for Daryl to come stand by him. Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and placed his flashlight in his mouth.

"Gotcha." He spit around the light, causing the beam to jiggle up and down in front of him. He stood behind Aaron, letting him use his shoulder to stay balanced.

"Alright, I'm gonna climb over and see if there's anything on the other side." Aaron walked shakily across the fallen shelving unit, hopping off on the other side.

"Okay, seems stable, you can come ove—" Just then he disappeared from view, landing with a thud.

"Daryl!" He fumbled for his gun and kicked at the walker's head. Its decaying fingers were wrapped tightly around his right ankle.

"Shit." Daryl attempted to vault the unit, but his weight caused the shelf to lose its position against the other portions of the aisle. He crashed down on top of it, flat on his back. Aaron was able to pull his ankle out from the clutches of the crushed walker, and Daryl rose to his feet beside him.

"Ya okay?" He offered Aaron his hand.

"Yeah, yeah." His breathing came out in gasps and his eyes were still wide with shock.

"Sit down. I think that was the only one." Daryl handed Aaron his canteen from around his belt and Aaron leaned against the remaining shelves. He rubbed at his ankle and took a small sip.

"Daryl, grab those packages by its arm. Want to make sure we don't miss anything." Daryl obliged and Aaron handed him his backpack.

"Jus' chocolate. Ya sure?" Daryl held up two Hershey bars and Aaron nodded.

"That shit is more valuable than gold nowadays. Is there anymore?"

"Yep." Daryl checked the seals on two more bars and Aaron held up his fist.

"Jackpot." He sighed and leaned his head back against the shelf.


	3. Carol's Cookies

"Still wondering why I took all that chocolate?" Aaron had noticed Daryl's silence ever since they returned to their camp that night.

"Nah, ya told me why." Daryl picked at his nails and stared into their campfire.

"Yep." Aaron put more emphasis on the 'p' than usual, and he leaned back against the log he was sitting near. He poked at their fire pit gently, causing one of the logs to fall. A shower of sparks popped from the log as the flames licked at its surface.

"Never had much of a sweet tooth." Daryl mumbled.

"Well that's something," Aaron smiled and Daryl looked up across the campsite, "you said something about yourself of your own volition."

"You brought up the chocolate." Daryl let his gaze fall back to his feet.

"Don't worry," Aaron laughed, "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. Just like I won't make you eat anything you don't want to eat."

Daryl snorted, "Oh, thanks. Was worryin' me there for a second."

"Hey, whatever, that just means Eric and I get more of Carol's cookies."

"What?" Daryl's head snapped up, "Her what?"

Aaron chuckled, "So that's how I get you involved in the conversation…"

Ignoring Aaron's amusement, Daryl pressed on, "Her cookies? Whatcha' talkin' about?"

"Oh, you haven't had them? They're to die for – if you'll pardon the expression." Aaron smiled nervously.

"They've been all anyone in Alexandria can talk about since the party, so I've heard some things through the grapevine." He chuckled at Daryl's blank expression.

"Okay, you're honestly missing out. I'm taking back what I said about not making you eat anything. You won't regret trying one of these. Maybe, if we come back with a ton of chocolate for her, she'll make you a batch all your own…"

"Stop." Daryl snorted at the thought of Carol baking. He pictured her in a delicate white apron slaving over a hot oven with flour dusting her cheeks.

_Shit._ He drew his knees up to his chest and started playing with one of his arrows, "You're bein' ridiculous."

Aaron emphatically responded, "Oh, I forgot. You're family. You probably don't need to do anything special to get her cookies."

"I mean it, shut up." Daryl shot him a look and Aaron let out a short laugh.

"Oh, okay. Hearing you loud and clear, Daryl," He put his hands up defensively again, "Just know that YOU made it sound dirty."

"The fuck? Ya really gotta stop corrallin' me into these stupid conversations." Daryl raised himself into a standing position and grabbed his knife from his pack.

"Where are you going?" Aaron called after him.

"Takin' a piss. Good Lord." Daryl stomped away into the forest and Aaron smiled smugly after him.

"Been thinking," Aaron continued once Daryl returned to their campsite, "it's pretty sad what happened to Carol."

"Jeez," Daryl rubbed his eyes, "You ever gonna not bring her up?"

Rolling his eyes at Daryl's whining, Aaron continued, "I'm just saying all of you have lost someone, but I can't imagine how much it must hurt to lose someone like a husband. Someone you planned to care for in sickness and health and-What's so funny?"

Daryl snorted, "Yeah, nothing. Go on."

"Whatever. When did she lose him? I felt so bad watching her interview tape."

"You watched those?" Daryl's voice waivered a bit and Aaron quickly caught on.

"Look, I don't blame you for being so – um, weird? – in your interview. I told you I get it. We are both outsiders." Aaron gestured between Daryl and himself.

"Yeah," Daryl relaxed his shoulders a bit, "Look if you wanna know about her bastard husband, why don't you go ask her?"

"Because this is the most you've talked to me since we have been out here." Aaron sat back smugly and Daryl squinted at him.

"Whatever, I'm done talkin' now." Daryl moved to grab his sleeping bag and Aaron stood up. Daryl watched him pick up his rifle and head to the car. He unrolled onto a patch of dry ground close to the fire and started slipping himself inside.

Daryl, oddly enough, was the one to break the silence, "Didn't think you'd let me off the hook that easy."

Aaron swiveled his head around and grinned, "I didn't. You're still talking. I win."

"Ain't a contest." Daryl unzipped the sleeping bag and sat up.

"Leavin' me again?" Aaron chided.

"Nah, just getting too stuffy in there," he flopped down onto the cool outer shell of the sleeping bag and sighed, "I don't know why I'm botherin' ta keep anything from you people. Someone always finds out anyway."

"Go ooonnnnn…" Aaron's smile was growing, and Daryl could feel him getting more smug by the minute.

"Stop. This ain't no gossip session. Told ya that." Daryl rolled onto his side, facing the car. He drew in a long breath and exhaled slowly. What exactly was he going to say?

"Carol's husband was a man after my own daddy's heart," He let his words hang in the air for a while before continuing, "Was with them at our camp outside of Atlanta when this started. They liked us enough, just tucked their tails between their legs whenever he'd come 'round."

"They?" Aaron sounded surprised.

"Her daughter," Daryl could feel a knot building up in his stomach, "Sophia." He let out a sigh and flopped onto his back, allowing his arm to fall over his eyes

"Oh," Aaron's mouth hung open in silent recognition, "I'm sorry."

"Why ya apologizin' to me?"

"Just sounded like you cared quite a bit for the both of them." Aaron moved back against the windshield of the car and stretched his legs out in front of him.

Fuck. Why was he telling anyone any of this? Carol would probably kill him if she found out, though he had been secretly hoping she would drop the housewife act in due time. He was pretty certain that transformation would go over like a lead balloon.

"She didn't deserve it." Daryl sighed.

"Who are we talking about?"

"Not sure anymore…" Daryl trailed off. Now he really had no idea what was going on. He let his guard down for one fuckin' second and suddenly he's spilling his guts to someone he met a couple days ago.

"You get your answers?" He sighed and rolled away from the car.

"Almost," Aaron could sense he was close to coercing Daryl into an answer, "What happened to her husband?"

"Pickaxe." Daryl mumbled.

"What?"

"Got bit when our camp was attacked. Walkers chewed him up good." It was too dark to see, but Aaron could hear Daryl nervously fidgeting on the scratchy outer shell of the bedroll.

"So you put a pickaxe in his brain?"

"No," Daryl remembered Carol asking for the tool. 'Let me do it, he's my husband.' She had said, "She did. Told me to give her the pickaxe."

"Rock on." Aaron gave the night a thumbs up.

Daryl stifled a chuckle at his reaction, "Yeah. Sure."

"It's pretty damn poetic, you know?"

"No. Dunno what you're talkin' about." Daryl shrugged off his vest, allowing the skin on his back to breathe. The night air sat thickly on him like a blanket.

"Your family has been looking out for her from day one. I'd say she's one of the luckiest women out there."

"Mmmhmmm," Daryl mumbled and he thought of the explosion that day he was knelt in front of the trough at Terminus, "we've all been pretty lucky."


	4. In One Piece

"I just want to say," Aaron was lacing up his boots next to Daryl the following morning, "I'm glad you're out here with me."

"Yeah," Daryl was waiting near the car and he looked back towards the campsite, "can't have Eric out here with a fucked up ankle."

"True," Aaron collected his things and Daryl turned to open the trunk for him, "but I'll be damned if I don't say I don't miss him out here."

Daryl closed the lid and walked around to the hood of the vehicle. Thinking about it, he had always liked to be alone or to have his own space. His wish had been partially granted with his new job out here and his own room at Alexandria, but he preferred being out in the open. He felt corralled in that house.

"Kinda always liked ta be alone," Daryl slung his bow over his shoulder and leaned with his palm against the roof of the car, "guess you get treated like shit by people long enough, you tend to not wanna be 'round 'em much."

"Your group seems to like you enough." Aaron spread his map out on the hood and started tracing their route with his finger.

"Tha's a different story."

"Right. Family," Aaron handed Daryl the map, "You wanna play navigator? Figure you ought to start pulling your weight out here." He smiled smugly and Daryl turned the map towards him.

"Pfft," Daryl rolled his eyes, "aren't ya forgettin' who saved yer ass yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah. Meant to thank you. I try to have as few close calls as possible, but I guess I can't predict the future."

"Try'na getcha back to Eric in one piece," Daryl gave Aaron a half smile and looked down at the map again, "I'll lead today. We just following the one highway?"

"Yep. And, don't worry, I'll try to get you back to Carol in one piece." Aaron folded up the map and stashed it in his bag.

"Quit."

A/N: Ehhh, it's a short one, but the next couple are a bit on the long side. I'm starting to catch up to all of my pre-made stuff. As another note, I have started dabbling in other fandoms, so if you are at all into the Fables/The Wolf Among Us stories, please stay tuned. I have some goodies on the way!


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